Modularly constructed vehicular transmission
First Claim
1. A transmission comprising:
- a central housing;
said central housing terminating in first and second end portions, each of which are substantially open;
at least one motor/generator having an annular stator insertably receivable through one of said end openings and supported interiorly of said central housing;
a central shaft member extending completely through said central housing;
a modular input closure subassembly demountably secured to said first substantially open end portion of said central housing module;
a modular output closure subassembly demountably secured to said second substantially open end portion of said central housing module;
an input shaft member coaxially and rotatably supported in said modular input closure subassembly;
an output shaft member coaxially and rotatably supported in said modular output closure subassembly;
one or more planetary gear subsets, each of said gear subsets supported in a selected modular closure subassembly of said modular input and output closure subasssemblies and being joined with the shaft member associated with said selected modular closure subassembly; and
annular collar means circumscribing said central shaft member, said collar means operatively engaged to a gear member in one planetary gear subset of said one or more planetary gearsets.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicular transmission embodying the concepts of the present invention permits facile construction by virtue of a modular construction. Such a transmission has an open ended central housing module. The annular stator of one motor/generator is supported interiorly of the annular central housing module, in such a manner as to circumscribe the longitudinal axis of the annular central housing module. A rotor is operatively positioned interiorly of the stator. The modular transmission incorporates a modular input closure subassembly and/or a modular output closure modular subassembly. A closure subassembly has an end cap and a retaining shroud demountably attached to the end cap, and the closure subassembly is demountably secured to an open end of the central housing module. An input shaft member is coaxially and rotatably supported by the input closure subassembly, if employed, and an output shaft member is coaxially and rotatably supported by the output closure subassembly, if employed. One or more planetary gear subsets is coaxially supported in selected closure subassemblies to circumscribe the shaft member associated with the corresponding closure subassembly. A torque transfer device may be provided to selectively connect the planetary gear subsets and motor/generators to selected shaft members and selected shaft members to each other.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A transmission comprising:
-
a central housing; said central housing terminating in first and second end portions, each of which are substantially open; at least one motor/generator having an annular stator insertably receivable through one of said end openings and supported interiorly of said central housing; a central shaft member extending completely through said central housing; a modular input closure subassembly demountably secured to said first substantially open end portion of said central housing module; a modular output closure subassembly demountably secured to said second substantially open end portion of said central housing module; an input shaft member coaxially and rotatably supported in said modular input closure subassembly; an output shaft member coaxially and rotatably supported in said modular output closure subassembly; one or more planetary gear subsets, each of said gear subsets supported in a selected modular closure subassembly of said modular input and output closure subasssemblies and being joined with the shaft member associated with said selected modular closure subassembly; and annular collar means circumscribing said central shaft member, said collar means operatively engaged to a gear member in one planetary gear subset of said one or more planetary gearsets.
-
-
2. A vehicular transmission adapted particularly to modular construction and assembly, said transmission comprising:
-
an annular, central housing module having a longitudinal axis; said central housing module terminating in first and second end portions, each of which are substantially open; at least one motor/generator having an annular stator insertably receivable through one of said end openings to be supported interiorly of the annular central housing module so as substantially to circumscribe said longitudinal axis; a rotor operatively received interiorly of said stator; a central shaft member extending coaxially with respect to said longitudinal axis of said central housing module; a modular input closure subassembly demountably secured to said first substantially open end portion of said central housing module; a modular output closure subassembly demountably secured to said second substantially open end portion of said central housing module; an input shaft member coaxially and rotatably supported in said modular input closure subassembly; an output shaft member coaxially and rotatably supported in said modular output closure subassembly; one or more planetary gear subsets, each said gear subsets coaxially supported in a selected modular closure subassembly of said modular input and output closure subassemblies and being joined with the shaft member associated with said selected modular closure subassembly; said one or more planetary gear subsets each having a sun gear member, a ring gear member and a plurality of planet gear members rotatably supported on a carrier meshingly to engage said sun and ring gear members; annular collar means circumscribing said central shaft member, said collar means operatively engaged to a gear member in said one planetary gear subset; and at least one connecting flange extending generally radially from said collar means and being operatively connected to said rotor. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A vehicular transmission adapted particularly to modular construction and assembly, said transmission comprising:
-
an annular, central housing module having a longitudinal axis; said central housing module terminating in substantially open first and second end portions; at least one motor/generator having an annular stator supported interiorly of the annular central housing module at least substantially to circumscribe said longitudinal axis; a rotor operatively positioned interiorly of said stator; a central shaft member extending coaxially with respect to said longitudinal axis of said central housing module; annular collar means circumscribing said central shaft member; a connecting flange extending generally radially from said collar means and being operatively connected to said rotor; at least one end cap; a retaining shroud demountably attached to said end cap in order to form at least one closure subassembly; a modular input closure subassembly and a modular output closure subassembly demountably secured to said first and second substantially open end portions respectively of said central housing module; an input shaft member coaxially and rotatably supported in said modular input closure subassembly; an output shaft member coaxially and rotatably supported in said modular output closure subassembly; one or more planetary gear subsets, each of said gear subsets coaxially supported in a selected modular closure subassembly of said modular input and output closure subassemblies and being joined with the shaft member associated with said selected modular closure subassembly; and means for selectively connecting said planetary gear subsets and said rotor to selected shaft members and to connect selected shaft members to each other. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
Specification